The low five is a hand gesture when two people slap palms together. One party extends an open palm, face upward at about waist level, the other party strikes the palm in a downward swing with their open palm. It is sometimes known as "slapping five", "give me five", or "giving/slapping skin". Archaic terms for it include "slip-slapping", "slapping the plank" and "soul shake". The gesture is an antecedent of the

high five The high five is a hand gesture whereby two people simultaneously raise one hand and slap the flat of their palm against the other. The gesture is often preceded verbally by a phrase like "Give me five", "High five", or "Up top". Its meaning var ...

which appeared in the 1970s.

History

The low five had been known since at least the 1920s when it was used as a symbol of unity among African-Americans, and had more of a status as an underground symbol of solidarity than as a widespread gesture. In

African-American English African-American English (AAE) is the umbrella term for English dialects spoken predominantly by Black people in the United States and, less often, in Canada; most commonly, it refers to a dialect continuum ranging from African-American Vernacu ...

this was known as "giving skin" or "slapping skin".Geneva Smitherman. ''Word From The Mother: Language and African Americans'', Taylor & Francis, Apr 19, 2006
Pg. 113
In the 1927 film ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American part-talkie musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland and produced by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music and lip-synchronous ...

'', actor

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...

performs the low five, in celebration of the news of a Broadway audition. Written evidence can be found in

Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...

's 1938 ''Hepster's Dictionary''. "Gimme Some Skin" was a term current in 1940s Hipster subculture and had crossed over to mainstream culture, as seen in the 1941

Abbott and Costello Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in t ...

film ''

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'' where the

Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911–1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (1916–1995), and mezz ...

perform "Gimme Some Skin, My Friend" and choreograph giving low fives. Soon after in the high-profile 1943 all-star Black film '' Stormy Weather'', Cab Calloway receives a double low five from

The Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of brothers, Fayard Nicholas, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold Nicholas, Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best kn ...

as they begin their dance number to Calloway's song " Jumpin' Jive".

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz, May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, musician, choreographer, and presenter, whose career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded as the "g ...

later told the Nicholas Brothers that the "Jumpin' Jive" dance sequence was "the greatest movie musical number he had ever seen".

Variations

Variations that evolved in the black community include ''five on the black hand side'' (giving skin on the darker outer hand side) and ''five on the sly'' (a low five behind the back).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Low five 1920s introductions 5 (number) American cultural conventions Hand gestures Hipsters (1940s subculture)

History

Variations

See also

References